Fatless frying pan

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a self-draining fry pan having a convex surface for frying food and having a peripheral channel for collecting fat or grease from frying food, circumferentially disposed about the frying surface. Arresting means are provided for preventing food placed on said frying surface from contacting the fat or grease collected in said channel.

United States Patent 11 1 Beer et al. Nov. 12, 1974 FATLESS FRYING PAN 1,733,450 10/1929 Detwiler 126/390 x 1761 Carl Tabmwn R41 Sand 3152313183. 13/1335 ZJLiLilLt iii: 1111111132353 Lake 12153; Steve" Vincent 3,079,855 3/1963 Valis 99/425 x Beer, 312 Eastwood -1 Ithaca, 3,469,524 9/1969 Trozzolo 126/390 x N.Y. 14850 1 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [221 July 1973 906,643 9/1962 016111 Britain 126/390 [21] Appl No; 383,598 12,l06 10/1887 Great Britain 99/425 2 e a e U S A-pphca ata Primary ExaminerWilliam F. ODea [6 1 of Sept I971 Assistant ExaminerWilliam C. Anderson abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. .j. 99/425, 126/390 [57] ABSTRACT [Sl] Int. Cl. A47j 37/10 [58] Field of Search 126/373, 376, 390; 99/375, li .a g gi z T 99/400 408 422 425 444 446 450- c e ace rylng a gap 9 1 b 4 A eral channel for collecting fat or grease trom frying food, circumferentially dis osed about the frying surf A p 'd d f 3C8. rrestmg means are pI'OVl e OI preventing ['56] References C'ted food placed on said frying surface from contacting the UNITED STATES PATENTS fat or grease collected in said channel. l,447,8l3 3/1923 Patrick 126 390 X l,505,675 8/1924 Stirn 126/390 X 4 Clam, 4 Drawmg f PATENIEHRM 12 m4 SIEEIIII 2 FIGURE FIGURE I MMMH FATLESS FRYING PAN This is a division, of application Ser..No. 180,811 filed Sept 15, l971,.and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Certain items of food hamburgers, sausages, sausage' patties, pork chops, release comparatively large quantities of fat upon frying. The fat contained in these items is solid at room temperature and below, but becomes liquid at temperatures prevailing during the cooking process. When using the conventional top-of- The following advantages are attained when using the I fatless frying pan of this invention instead of a convenstove frying pan, fat accumulates at the bottom of the pan. The fat forms a liquid layer in the pan. This fat layer gets deeper and deeper as the frying process continues. The food items being fried become soaked in the liquid fat; this results in the well known pan-fried character of the food so cooked. The pan-fried character of such items of food is unsightly and detrimental from a dietary point of view. Also, food items thus fried, shrink heavily during the frying process and have fat-soaked condition described in the preceding paragraph, albeit to a somewhat lesser extent. Griddle-type cooking devices cannot be used with a cover and are not top-of-stove devices.

Rib-type frying pans have recently been placed on the market. The frying surface of these pans is not uninterrupted, but is ribbed. The food is placed atop the I comes in contact with the hot'frying surface. The result is a much higher frying time and a lack of crispness of the fried item.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the invention to provide a frying device on which liquid fat, released from the food, is continuously drained from the bottom of the pan.

It is another object to providea fatless frypan usefuly atop a conventional gas or electric stove, useable witha cover and economical to manufacture.

It is an additional object to provide a self-draining fry pan offering an uninterrupted .frying surface and adapted to prevent contact of frying food and drained fat.

These objective and others are realized by the fatless frying pan of this invention which is characterizedby a convex bottom, a peripheral grease gutter surrounding the convex bottom and an arresting means, aa stop fence spaced about the circumference of the bottom, abutting the grease gutter.

The outer rim which forms the outside shore of the grease gutter is high enough tosupport a-cover for the pan. If it 'is desired to employ the pan for use in conjunction with an'electric heating element, a plurality of parallel ribs may be spaced underneath the pan to transmit heat from the element to the pan by conduction.

' and/or the sidewall.

tional frying pan or a griddle: thefood is less fatty and therefore healthier; the food istastier; and the food does not shrink as much.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE- DRAWINGS I The following drawings illustrate somewhat preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pan;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a side elevation of the pan;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a side elevation of the pan of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2. Pan 10 is generally circular. Pan base 12 is convex to permit grease to drain from food cooked on its frying surface 14. A circular channelior grease gutter 16 is circumferentially. disposed about base 12 to collect drained .posts 24 is circumferentially disposed about rim 20 of surface 14. The fence arrests any movement of food fried-on frying surface 14 and prevents mixing of the food with any grease collected in channel 16.

Handle 26 is integrally connected to the outer wall of sidewall 22 for support purposes. If desired, the handle may beremovably connected employing conventional fastening mechanisms. Other conventional grasping means may be substitued for the handle.

Turning now to FIGS-3 and 4, thereisillustrated another embodiment of the pan. This embodiment is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the means for preventing the food from sliding into the collecting channel consists of a ring 27 formed from a strip of crimped sheet metal and placedatop the channel. Ring 27 rests on the convex frying surface 14. The ring may easily be removed for cleaning. If desired, the ring could be affixed to the Pan 10may be formed from conventional heat conducting r'naterialsuch as iron, copper, aluminum or the like. If desired, frying surface 14'may-be coated with a non-stick material, such as p'olytetrafluoroethylene,

spaced three-fourths inch apart. "The grease gutter is} three-fourths inch wide and three-fourth inch deep.

peripheryof the frying surface The invention is not to be limited except as set forth in the following claims:

an outer side wall forming an outer pan rim, the

base of said channel being below the periphery of said frying surface;

c. means for arresting the frying food on said convex surface and for preventing said food from contacting said fat or grease collected in said channel which comprises a member having crimped lateral walls and which is disposed about the periphery of the convex surface and atop said channel, said crimped lateral side walls extending to a height above the lowest point on said convex surface; and

d. means connected to said inner side wall for grasping said fry pan.

2. A fray pan according to claim 1 wherein said mem-' ber is removable for cleaning.

3. A fry pan according to claim 1 wherein said member is affixed to the periphery of said convex surface.

4. A fry pan according to claim 1 wherein said member is affixed to said inner side wall. 

1. A self-draining fry pan which comprises; a. a convex surface for frying foods; b. a channel for collecting fat or grease from frying food circumferentially disposed about the frying surface, said channel having an inner side wall connected to the periphery of said frying surface and an outer side wall forming an outer pan rim, tHe base of said channel being below the periphery of said frying surface; c. means for arresting the frying food on said convex surface and for preventing said food from contacting said fat or grease collected in said channel which comprises a member having crimped lateral walls and which is disposed about the periphery of the convex surface and atop said channel, said crimped lateral side walls extending to a height above the lowest point on said convex surface; and d. means connected to said inner side wall for grasping said fry pan.
 2. A fray pan according to claim 1 wherein said member is removable for cleaning.
 3. A fry pan according to claim 1 wherein said member is affixed to the periphery of said convex surface.
 4. A fry pan according to claim 1 wherein said member is affixed to said inner side wall. 